Carpenter&#39;s tool



Patented Sept. 23, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CARPENTERS TOOL Barnett Epstein, Richmond, Mass.

Application April 22, 1940, Serial No. 330,882

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in carpenters tools and is directed more particularly to the provision of a novel device for facilitating accuracy in the building or setting up of the frame-work of any structure, such as a house or the like.

It is a principal object of the invention to provide a tool or device for use by carpenters which is calculated to help them in trueing-up twoby-fours or other brace members with respect to other members to which it is desired to secure the two-by-fours. That is to say, the tool is such that it may be removably associated in a desired place with respect to one brace member so as to more or less guide and otherwise facilitate the proper securing thereto of another brace member.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a tool adapted to be clamped to a selected horizontal brace member and having means thereon for guiding and supporting a vertical brace member which is to be attached thereto. As will appear, the tool is simple in form so as to be economical to manufacture and it is easy to manipulate.

With the foregoing and various other novel features and advantages and other objects of my invention as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims hereunto annexed and more fully described and referred toin connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing how the device of the invention may be associated with a building frame-work;

Fig. 2 is a partial plan view of the device of the invention; and

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the same.

Referring now to the drawing more in detail, the invention will be fully described.

For purposes of explanation as to how the device of the invention may be used, I have shown in Fig. 1 a frame-work structure for a building as consisting of upper and lower horizontal supporting members, 2 and 4 respectively, having vertical struts or braces 6 extending therebetween. In practice, the carpenter begins to build the frame by securing the upper ends of the braces 6 to the upper support 2, as by means of nails or the like, indicated by N.

This procedure is preferably carried out on the floor or ground since it is obviously easier to do it this way. That is to say, members 2 and 6 are attached while the same are horizontally disposed on their sides and then this part of the framework is tipped up into vertical position for attaching the lower ends of braces 6 to lower support 4 which is usually fixed relative to the floor.

In the interests of accuracy and efficiency, it is, of course, desirable that the braces 6 be secured to member 4 in a certain predetermined relation with respect thereto. It is now common for the carpenter to merely measure and mark off on the member 4, with a pencil, nail, or the like, transverse lines to indicate where the lower ends of struts 6 shall be placed and to then bear against one side of the strut while driving a nail into the other side.

Such practice is not accurate and is difficult and tedious to carry out. That is to say, true lining up cannot be obtained from such methods for various reasons, among which is the fact that the driving of the nail into one side of the vertical brace invariably results in the struts being knocked out of line to some degree at least and, further, it is practically impossible for a carpenter to simultaneously brace the vertical member as desired, and wield hammer and nail for the securing operation.

By means of my invention, I avoid all of these disadvantages and provide a device which at one and the same time makes it possible to properly line up the vertical members with respect to the horizontal member and to hold them against slippage while being secured in place. As will appear, the device is adjustable to accommodate braces of varying sizes and only a comparatively few nails are required, which means saving in cost and labor.

In general, there is a plate-like body member 8 for resting horizontally on top of the supporting member 4 and it has a downwardly-depending lug portion l0. Preferably these parts are formed of metal and they may or may not be integral and the part 8 may be channel-shaped if desired. In any event, there is a clamping member movable relative thereto having a bearing part which may be moved into engagement with a side of the member 4.

According to the form shown, the clamping member consists of a screw l2 threaded in the part I!) and rotatable relative thereto with a bearing part I4 on its inner end and a handle it may be provided, as shown, to facilitate rotation of the screw. It will be understood that the clamping member just, referred to could be of the eccentric type consisting of a pivoted memcharacteristics thereof.

her having a cam surface for bearing against the wood. 7 A vertically-disposed plate member 20 is provided to be slidable relative to member 8 and is formed to have a substantially fiat forward surface in a plane which is at right angles to that of said member 8. The member 20 may have a rearwardly-extending ledge-like portion 25 attached thereto and this is preferably slotted so as to receive member 8 as indicated in Fig. 3, whereby the platemember 20 is guided in its sliding movements relative to part 8.

Member 8 is provided with a longitudinallyextending slot I8 and part 25 has an opening therethrough which coincides with slot 3.

clamping screw 22 preferably extends' through slot I8 and the opening in the plate member the appended claims are-therefore intended to be embraced therein. a

What it is' desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is: l

1. A tool of the characater described comprising in combination, a horizontally-extending straight-edge member having a substantially flat bottom surface for resting on a flat working surface and provided with a downwardly-depending lug portion, a screw in threaded EIT- agement with said lug P rtion and rotatable relative thereto for moving in a horizontal plane therebelow, said member being provided with an elongated aperture therethrough, a verticallyextending plate member slidably mounted on ,7 the member for movement in a horizontal plane and there may be a'washer 24 and "nut 26', all" as shown. It will be understood that the securing means could consist of a bolt or the like merely threaded intothe parts 8 and 25 and it may be tightened by means of a screwdriver, wrench, or key. v

Thus the vertical support 20 maybe moved :to various spositionsgrelative to the horizontal support 8. and fixedt against relative 'movement once the desired adjustmenthas been made. It will be appreciated that the brace 4 is clamped between the lower part of part 20 and member I4 and graduations, as shown, are preferably provided on the body part 8 to facilitate adjustment to accommodate the width of the particular member 4 being worked upon. a

In operation, "the carpenter clamps the tool in the desired location relative to member 4 so that either of its straight edges, that is either of itslongitudinal side edges, extend transversely of the member 4 on a line bearing the proper relation to theupper support 2 and upper end of the vertical strut whichis to be secured in place. He then places one side of the lower end portion of the strut against the straight edge with-an adjacentside of said strut against the vertical part 20. There the strut is well supported imposition and the carpenter may easily drive a nail into still another side of the member 6 so asto. secure it to support 4. .No'tonlyhashe thus assured that the lower end of the member 6 is properly located in the'beginning but he has avoided moving the same from position when 'he drove the nail into it. l

Manifestly the specific details of construction may beconsiderably varied from those herein shown and described without involving any departure from the principle of the'inventionor sacrificing any of the advantages inherent therein; While 'I have described my invention in this specification in great detailand particularly with respectto the present preferred "form thereof, it. is not desired to be limited thereto since many changes and modifications maybe made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .The invention may be embodied in other spe-' cific forms without departing from the essential Hence, the present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects merely as being illustrative and not as being restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all modifications and variations as fall within the meaning and purview and range of equivalency of relative to said straight-edge member and pro' titled .with a horizontally-extending ledge-like portion provided with an opening therethrough in vertical alignment with said elongated aperture'inthe straight-edge member, and clamping means extending through'both said aperture and horizontal working surface/said member being provided with an elongated longitudinal slot extending entirely therethrough and having a series of spaced gradations on its upper surface, a vertical lug portion extending downwardit from; said member,,a screw threaded in said lug portionfiand movable back and forth relative .th'ereto; a vertically-extending plate member provided 'with a transverse slot therethrough,

.said' plate member being provided with a hori- ;zontal ledge-likepart extending at right angles 40,

, upper side, substantially [co-planar with said transverse slot, said strip being slidable in a thereto and, having an'indented portion in its horizontal plane in said transverse slot and being guided in said sliding movements by the indented portion, said ledge-like part being provid'ed'with an opening extending. through the indentedportion-thereof and in vertical alignmentwith said slot in the strip member, and clamping means extending through both said slot in the stripmember and said opening and engageable with said, ledge-like part whereby said plate member may be secured in adjusted positions, said plate member being relatively'thin and having substantially flat faces 'for bearing against a working surface at right angles. to the working surface on which the strip member may rest. if f 3. Atool of the character described comprising in combination, a horizontally-extending straight-edge member having a substantially flat bottom -surface-for resting on a fiat working surface and a part dependingdownwardlytherefrom, alscrew, rotatable in said part for moving back and forth relative thereto in a horizontal plane therebelow, said member being provided'with a longitudinallysextending aperture therethrough,

a vertically-extending plate ,member mounted on said straight :edge .member and adjustable in'vertical planes relative thereto and relative to said screw, and clamping means extending through said aperture and engageable with said plate member whereby said plate member may be secured in adjusted positions. 5 l

":BARNETT EPSTEIN. 

